It's now tipped into late April, and we are at the business end of this training block. I put in a 50km (albeit walking) two weeks ago with my friend and his daughter with no major adverse effects. This was part of a 60km week which is pretty much where I wanted to be. Given the hard hit for 11 hours on your feet I put through two following weeks of 30km, with some bike thrown in, just to hold onto the adaptations, and this week I have a couple of Back to Back trail runs slotted (one with some heavy hills) that'll put this up to a 60Km+ week in total.
In my original plan from the end of last summer this is getting to the end of my phase 2 in prep for the 300km this coming September. My targets for this phase were:
Phase 2 - Trail Base & Lactate Threshold Building - Key Outcomes (6 Months)
May/June 2023 - Injury Free Run 100km Ultra sub 24hrs | Weight 92Kg
April/May 2023 - Injury Free Run 50km Ultra | Weight 94Kg
Mar/April 2023 - Injury Free Run 35km Long Run | Weight 96Kg
Feb 2023 - Injury Free Run 25km Long Run | Weight 98Kg
Jan 2023 - Injury Free Run 15km Long Run | Weight 100Kg
Taking this while now gearing up for the 100Km challenge I have in Mid May (3 weeks' time), I'm on each mark I set for distance and without injury (touch wood!) at this point! My weight has started to drop again after holding onto the 100kg mark. When I toed the line last year I was at 102kg after a disastrous final run in to that 100km challenge (huge ankle issues). Today I am at 98Kg, so I'm 2kg off what was quite an aggressive target originally. If I can make the start line at 96kg in 3 weeks' time then I will be in great shape, and my joints and tendons will be grateful for it!
Injury Management is what is most important in this final run in, while holding onto the gains I've made. I have a Piriformis issue (muscle deep in my ass), but have been assured that this is overtightness in the glute and hip that's causing it. It's causing some issues on longer runs and having to crack out the Bastard-Shakti-Mat, the lacrosse ball, and Thera Gun to keep it under control. I have some elbow sports massage treatment booked as well (which is f*cking horrible in this part of the body), just to batter it into submission over the next fortnight. It is a slight worry as I had a disastrous winter/spring training block last year because of something similar in my back. But everything appears to be simply crazy tightness. This has had a knock on effect down my leg with over tightness in the heel/plantar, but this is a lot better than where i was this time last year when my ankle was screwed in the 3 week run-in to the 100km.
I'm desperate to have a fair crack at this Jurassic 100 without any tendon pain, hip pain, ankle pain just so I can see what's possible without starting injured. That means the next two weeks training needs to be very well balanced. This weekend will be tough, but I will be dialling it back heavily and focusing on recovery and mobility/easing tension, going VERY easy on the runs. Nothing I do right now will move the fitness dial any higher. Even beasting myself for a week. In fact it will likely result in exponential increased injury risk. Just consistent movement, taking care of myself and easing up before the edge of my limit, is the focus. This will hold onto the gains I've made.
I'll be continuing to move the next couple of weeks, but more with a little more cycling thrown in, easy steady state pace, and stopping if it feels tight.
I've already put through my legs 650Km of running in 4 months since the start of this year starting from Zero (due to injury). Now is a time to let the body adapt and heal the niggles from next week, while keeping the fitness just ticking over.
I'm also reminded that this year it's all about being in the right space for the 300km in 5 months' time. If I can come through the next month largely unscathed, then I'll have my best-ever aerobic base put into me. Then I can focus on the next phase for my 3 month summer block from June to bullet-proof my legs, build the pace, and help speed-up my recovery abilities when having to go ultra, day after day after day...
This 100km is important. It's a step stone to the 300km, but also a test of my body to come back after a couple of shitty injury-filled years, relatively unscathed. My aim is to go under 24hrs, but if there are issues that feel like I'll do some longer term damage simply to finish, then I'll be strict with myself and pull out at that point.
Thanks for reading...
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